Thursday, the lights shined on local athletes in Letts at the Gardner-Wilson Relays. The Columbus boys flexed their muscles en route to a team title and an astronomic 207 points. The ‘Cats claimed eight event championships. Triston Miller went double individual gold, winning the 110 hurdles in 15.04 seconds. He was also the high jump champ, getting over the bar at 6’4″. Jeff Hoback won the 100 in 11.10 seconds. Kaden Amigon claimed the 200 in 23.40 seconds. In relays, the 4×100 team of Hoback, Riley Kaalberg, Jon Miranda and Alexander Rees continued Big Blue’s dominance on the evening, winning in 45.33 seconds, the 4×800 team of Damian Vergara, Tyler Humiston, Tim Hills-Carrier and Cole Storm were winners in 9:18.37. The team of Hoback, Kaalberg, Vergara and Amigon won the 4×2 in 1:33.81, and the shuttle hurdle team of Rees, Kaalberg, Dante Zuniga and Miller crossed the line first in 1:04.22.

Runner-up performances for the Wildcats included Rees in the 110 and 400 hurdles, Russel Coil in the shot put and discus, Cael Philips in the two-mile, Amigon in the 100, Hills-Carrier in the 800, Hoback in the 200 and Vergara in the mile. Juan Chairez was third in the 400 as was Storm in the 800, the sprint medley team of Zuniga, Tyson Kaalberg, Miranda and Chairez, the distance med of Colby Frost, Miguel Elizarraras, Lauro Avendano-Santiago and Freddy Escobar, and the 4×800 with Humiston, Chairez, Avendano-Santiago and Tyson Kaalberg.

The Hillcrest Academy boys were led by third place finishes for Owen Scott in the high jump and long jump.

The Wildcat girls were fifth of six teams with 63 points. Lily Coil won a pair of golds, taking the 100 hurdles in 17.70 seconds and 400 hurdles in 1:17.49. Columbus also had a pair of third place finishes with Ariana Vergara in the 800 and Naveiah Garza in the high jump.

Hillcrest Academy scored 35 points. Top finishes for the Ravens included Delaney Shaw runner-up in the long jump at 15’6.5″ and second for the 4×100 team of Morgan Nafziger, Anna Torok, Erin Bontrager and Shaw in 57.55 seconds. Nafziger also finished third in the 100 and Shaw third in the 400.

The Wildcats are back on the track Tuesday at the Savage Relays in Sigourney. The Ravens are next on the oval Thursday at the Eckstrand Relays at WACO.